Celebrated Entrepreneur: Dena Hoban

In May 2010, Dena Hoban apprehensively touched her toes in the waters of entrepreneurship after coaching with Diane Cunningham and being mentored by the Small Business Development Center.  Dena launched Dream Bakers, (http://www.dreambakers.org), where her mission is to create special memories through unique and inspiring edible treats.

“I started coaching with Diane Cunningham in May, then visited the Small Business Development Center, which led to me spending about 4 weeks delivering ‘goodies’ all over town with feedback forms & self addressed stamped envelopes – meantime – I kept seeing Diane, everyone must have a coach.

“One day I dropped off some goodies at the local paper, the Times Record News. They decided to run an article on me—then things exploded.

For the next several months, Dena juggled working full-time at her regular job in human resources (which she had grown to loathe) and running Dream Bakers while dreaming of the possibility of one day being 100% committed to Dream Bakers.

“The working hours came to a point of staying up till 2 a.m., then waking  at 4:30 a.m. and going to work: delivering my baked goodies before 8 a.m., during lunch hours, and after 5 p.m. Something had to go.

“My husband and I discussed the situation at length, covered in much prayer. We decided Dream Bakers would be all or nothing.”

In December 2010, Dena went full time with Dream Bakers and we celebrate her success!

“It sounds silly to say this but I’m going to be 50 next year – I don’t ever want to look back and think ‘I wonder what would have happened if I had…’ I work longer hours and have very little down time but I’ve never been so happy—I love seeing the customer’s faces when I walk in with their treats.

It is a giant leap of faith but trusting God in each step has been so rewarding.

We want to celebrate your successes each month. At NACWE’s Celebrated Entrepreneur, we offer snapshots of various members’ success stories. We want to spotlight you—celebrate you and encourage others. We include a short blurb of something exciting that’s going on with you and your entrepreneurial ventures for that month. Photos are great, but not necessary. Email me (Jo Ann Fore [email protected]) with a couple paragraphs about your exciting news and allow me to share it with our other members. If you send photos, please send jpg format.